Never Alone
by Enderman of the End
Summary: Millennia ago, a great war was fought between two powerful factions. One of those factions fought for all that was right and just. The second army fought for a man who liked to style himself as a god. That dark man was eventually cast down to the Nether, soon to be forgotten. Now, he's on the brink of returning. Only six heroes are left to stand in his way. (Contains Mob Talker)
1. Chapter 1

*Thank you for reading. Please leave a review or send me a pm telling me if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes. I would greatly appreciate it.*

* * *

Pain... All he had ever known was pain...

First, it had been the constant prick and sting of the snow, omnipresent from his birth...

Second was the feeling of abandonment after his father discovered his mother's origin...

Third was the complete despair that came from his mother leaving for her home...

* * *

Acerbus had known nothing but pain, fear, longing and despair his entire life, each cause compounding on the last.

It was only natural that he developed a cold, apathetic and steely personality. He had lost all faith in anybody but himself. However, it wouldn't last. After twelve years of wandering in fear, pain, hatred and apathy, he met a girl.

With long, platinum blond hair and nearly silver colored eyes, the girl wore a sleeveless matte silver top and white shorts. Her eyes were round and full of kindness and love. If Acerbus had been so inclined, he would have noticed just how attractive she was as well. She didn't seem to think much of her looks, though. She seemed more concerned with others than herself. Overall, she gave off an overwhelming aura of empathy and concern.

But what Acerbus noticed most was her persistence. Trying to start a conversation, she continually speak with him. Soon, he became enraged every time she began to speak. She wouldn't leave him alone, no matter how long Acerbus spent wandering the north, eventually reaching the point where whenever she spoke, he would become enraged. However, after almost two months of being in her company, he came to appreciate it.

* * *

"Why are you still following me?" Acerbus asked the girl calmly.

Surprised, she missed a step in her stride, stumbling. It had been the first time he'd said anything outside of his shouting sessions. "Well... I, uh... I just thought you could use a friend. You looked so lonely..."

Acerbus scoffed. "I do not need any friends. I am not weak. I have lived with pain from the day of my birth. I have learned to adapt."

"I'm sorry you had to live through that. But mourning your past won't fix it. You can't just let your past control you. You just have to learn to live with it and not allow it to affect who you've become. You need to-"

"Enough!" he shouted, interrupting her. "Look, if you want to accompany me so much, at least tell me know your name."

"Oh..." she replied. Smiling, she held out her hand, saying, "My name is Shiki! It's nice to meet you!"


	2. Chapter 2

*Hi. Sorry I took so long to get this one posted... I had a problem relating to interwebs access. XD*

*Please review this, as it would help me greatly in improving my writing style.*

* * *

Walking amongst the Skyroot trees, Lilli knew that her guardian would be looking for her. She was supposed to be studying how to tend to the Golden Oaks, but Lilli felt that she'd earned a break. All she wanted to do was find an Aerbunny or a Phyg; something she could call "friend".

* * *

Walking around one of the trees, Lilli continued thinking. Her whole life, Lilli's guardian had been insistent that she become a servant to a Sun Spirit, to tend to the Golden Oaks atop their island.

But if Lilli were to have her way, she'd never have anything to do with the veritable deities. All she really wanted to do was explore the world, meet new people and learn about things she'd never seen before. There had to be more to the world than just the floating islands and dungeons of the Aether. What if there really was a land below the islands Lilli called "home"? What if this "Overworld" she'd read of in her free time was real?

Looking through the trees, Lilli knew she'd have to head home soon. Even with the perpetual day of the Aether, Lilli knew she'd been out for almost six hours.

She was about to turn around and head home when she heard a strained call. Following the sounds, Lilli came across a large black bird. It was a Moa.

The Moa made the strained sound again, laying on the ground, obviously hurt. "Are you okay?" Lilli asked it, kneeling down to comfort the creature. Looking at her, the large bird made another noise, this time a more threatening one.

Lilli persisted. "I want to help. Please, let me," she said, her eyes, a curious combination of green and purple, shining with concern.

Slowly, Lilli was able to coax the bird into trusting her. Closing enough of the distance between her and the Moa to help, Lilli checked the bird for any wounds. Within seconds, she found what she was looking for. Grabbing the fibrous material, she quickly pulled it out of the Moa's leg, backing away immediately after doing so.

The Moa reacted exactly as she'd expected it to. It snapped at her, nearly catching her as she had back-stepped. Looking at the material, Lilli immediately knew what it was. It was an Aechor Thorn. Tossing it to the side, began the long process of calming the giant bird again.

* * *

After almost an hour of tending to the wound and extracting the poison, Lilli heard somebody calling her name.

"Lillianne Bloomrose Avery!"

Turning, Lilli saw her guardian stomping toward her. Standing, Lilli replied, "Yes, mam?"

"Where have you been? You should have been home, helping me tend to the Golden Oaks!"

Lilli was about to respond when a Zephyr flew over their heads. Turning to watch it, Lilli knew that where there was one Zephyr, there was an entire swarm of them. Before either of them could say anything, Zephyrs surrounded them on all sides, creating a gale that could pull an Aechor Plant out of the ground. By now, the Moa had either fled or been knocked off the ledge of the island.

Just as Lilli thought she felt a lull in the winds, the cloud-like form of a Zephyr flew straight at her and her guardian, sending the two off the nearby ledge, falling toward what Lilli would soon discover was the Overworld.


	3. Chapter 3

Even after almost a year after leaving the tundra behind him, Acerbus still felt out of place without the snow around him. It was also strange for him to no longer have Shiki tagging along. After about a week from when Acerbus had confronted her, he had begun talking with her. The more they had talked, the more Acerbus felt that he had had a friend. It began to feel less like she was following him and more like the two were simply exploring the tundra together.

A couple weeks after Acerbus had reached the age of seventeen, Shiki had convinced him to stop roaming and find a place to live. Reluctantly, Acerbus had agreed on the condition that she do the same. Agreeing, the two had found a place to build a home and set to work. Within days, they had created a house large enough for the two of them. For the first time in twelve years, Acerbus had a place to call home. However, it hadn't lasted long.

* * *

"You're leaving?" Shiki asked.

"Yes. I apologize, Shiki. But there is something that I have sworn to do," Acerbus replied.

Shiki immediately understood. Her face becoming more concerned, she replied, "Acerbus, I thought you let go of this. You promised that you'd forget about your family, that you'd settle down…"

"I know. But I simply have no choice. I have to finish this so that I may forget about it, so that I no longer have anything distracting me from living my life.

"Shiki, I regret making this request, but I am afraid that I must ask you to stay here while I look for my Father."

Struck by disbelief, Shiki rearranged her thoughts and resumed talking. "You want me to stay here while you strike out on your own to find a dad you'll most likely never find?" she asked, the pain in her voice obvious.

"Yes," Acerbus replied, the full weight of what he was asking now hitting him. "However, I will promise you this, Shiki: I will return. I will not leave you forever."

Not wanting to believe that what she was hearing was real, Shiki held her hands over her breast, tears beginning to form. After about two minutes of awkward silence, Shiki said, "Okay…"

"I promise that I will return."

"I know..."

Turning to leave, Acerbus heard Shiki say one final thing: "Please be safe…"

"Of course."

* * *

Acerbus had relived those final few minutes with Shiki every day for almost six months. And yet he'd still made no progress toward finding his father. Feeling that he'd spent enough time dwelling in the past for the day, Acerbus stood and began to walk.

However, it wasn't long before Acerbus came across a small clearing in the oak forest around him. And in the middle of that clearing lay a girl.

She had hair the color of a verdant grass with streaks through itthe color of a dark orchid. She wore a forest green tank-top with a similarly colored pair of jeans and a dark, violet mini-skirt. She seemed rather short, and was obviously no older than sixteen. Her pale skin seemed somewhat contrasted by her strange eyes. One was a shade of green close to the color of a verdant field, while the other was a shade close to the purple of the streaks in her hair.

Acerbus walked over to the girl and, kneeling, grabbed her hand and felt for a pulse.


	4. Chapter 4

Warmth…

There was something or someone holding her hand. She knew this even before she was fully conscious.

Opening her eyes, Lilli was confused. All around her was darkness, yet she was obviously outside. Nothing should be blocking the sunlight. Sitting up, Lilli looked at her surroundings. The first thing she noticed were the trees around the clearing she was in. But something about them was different from the Skyroots and Golden Oaks she was used to. It was then that she realized there was a fire behind her, crackling and keeping her warm.

Turning, she saw a pile of logs nearby, far enough from the fire to prevent a stray spark from setting them aflame, yet close enough to make the trip between the logs and the fire as short as possible. The strange part was that there wasn't a single person nearby who could have cut those logs or lit the fire.

* * *

Acerbus watched from the edge of the darkness as the girl examined her surroundings, ready to leave. He wasn't sure why, but, even though he'd never seen her before, something about the girl seemed familiar. She definitely wasn't human, that was for sure. In fact, she had to be like him, considering her appearance. Not exactly like him, but similar enough.

* * *

Standing, Lilli shouted, "Hello?"

When nobody answered, Lilli sighed. She was about to sit near the fire when she noticed a dark, purple glow. Curious, she began to walk toward it, saying, "Hello? Are you the one who helped me?"

Instead of answering, whoever it was turned and began to walk away. Lilli ran after them, shouting, "Wait! Come back!"

* * *

"Leave me alone," Acerbus responded, not wanting to speak with her.

However, she persisted. "Please, I just want to talk."

* * *

Lilli put on a burst of speed and was able to grab whoever it was by that seemed like the sleeve to a thick, black coat. Up close, Lilli was able to discern that the man, for he was definitely a man, was at least six feet tall. He had shoulder-length brown hair and a pair of extremely dark purple eyes. She quickly confirmed that he was wearing a large, thick black coat, and black slacks.

The man tried to free his hand, but Lilli was resolute. She asked again, "Are you the one who helped me?"

* * *

"If I answer you, will you leave me alone?" Acerbus asked, becoming irritated with the girl.

She simply smiled and said, "I might."

"Very well. Yes, I am the one who helped you. Now leave me."

"Actually, I was kind of wondering if you could tell me where I was," the girl replied.

"If you do not know where you are, then how did you get here?" Acerbus replied.

"Um, well, I kinda fell off an island, I think…"

Acerbus, not knowing what this girl was talking about, began getting angry. "Look, I do not have time for games. If you are going to talk as if you are insane, leave me alone!"

* * *

Not expecting such a harsh reaction, Lilli's grip loosened somewhat. The man quickly took advantage of this and wrenched his arm out of her grip. He then began walking away again.

Lilli ran after him, saying, "Look, if you're going somewhere, can I come with you?"

* * *

Hearing those words, Acerbus stopped. _This girl is so much like her… _He turned and said, "I am simply wandering the world, looking for somebody."

"You're going on an adventure? Well, sign me up!" she replied happily.

* * *

This could be it, Lilli thought. All that time she'd spent wanting to do something exciting, something other than tending to trees, and here was an opportunity, ready to be taken.

She held out her hand, smiling. "My name's Lilli. What's yours?"

* * *

"Acerbus," he replied as he turned and began walking. "If you want to tag along, go ahead. Just keep up."

_They are so similar, and yet they are still so different._


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry guys. I forgot to post a chapter last week, so I posted two today. I'll try to keep it coming more regularly. Also, I'm starting to make the chapters longer, starting with Chapter 7. Please review or PM me if you feel there's something I can improve.

* * *

Lilli and Acerbus had been walking for almost an hour when the constant moaning of the night seemed to become louder. Growing nervous, Lilli put on a facade of bravery. What was this moaning coming from? Where was the source?

Noticing the change in her demeanor, Acerbus asked, "What is wrong?"

Lilli, traveling behind Acerbus, simply responded, "Nothing."

Dropping the question, Acerbus looked at the forest around them. With Oaks on every side and the occasional Birch mixed in, it seemed to be and everyday forest. And yet something about it left him ill at ease. He had noticed the moaning as well, but it was obvious to him what it was. He wasn't worried, because Zombies had never attacked him before. It was strange that the moans seemed to be getting louder, but Acerbus was sure it was nothing. Still, it couldn't hurt to be cautious.

* * *

Lilli was about to say something when she saw a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. She quickly turned her head to look at it, but whatever it was had disappeared.

"I know something was there," Lilli muttered.

* * *

The blanket of night suited him just fine, the boy thought. As for these two intruders, it was obvious the same couldn't be said. Not only was their presence not welcome, but Yaab would have been able to find them even without his potions.

Yaab had been following the tall man in black from the moment he took his first step into the forest. Then there were the two women who had somehow fallen from the sky. Yaab had dispatched with one within an hour, but unfortunately, the tall man had found the other. Yaab would have attacked them both if not for the feeling he was getting from the tall man. Yaab felt as though the tall man could match his skill with strength and strength alone. Of course, it was obvious that the man wasn't entirely human, and that made Yaab that much more weary of him.

As for the girl, he got the impression that she was clueless about the world, even more so than everybody else in the world. She seemed like a child: clueless and curious. She also seemed genuinely brave, even if the bravery she was currently showing was little more than a guise to protect her from admitting she was afraid. Yaab could tell all of this, and yet he still felt there was more to it than what showed on the surface.

Realizing that he was within the girl's range of vision, Yaab quickly leapt further back into the shadows…

* * *

Acerbus just ignored Lilli. He was too preoccupied with the fact that the moaning seemed to become louder and louder with every second. Something strange was going on. Something that gave Acerbus a great feeling of foreboding. Preparing for the unwanted fight, Acerbus stopped walking, causing Lilli to walk into him.

"Quiet. They are getting closer."

* * *

Yaab had to hand it to the man. He definitely knew how to handle himself. He'd been able to figure out that the zombies were about to attack. Pulling out three glass bottles, Yaab let out his own moan, giving the zombies the signal to attack. In all honesty, Yaab really didn't want to fight these two, but if the zombies failed, Serene would make him fight the two alone. And while that was entirely possible for him, Yaab wanted to be through with this as soon as possible so that he could complete his true objective. Downing the contents of the bottles, Yaab was ready to fight.


	6. Chapter 6

Finally! This is the last short chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, could you possibly leave a review or PM me? Thanks for your time.

* * *

"Closer? What do you mean, closer?" Lilli asked as the moaning got louder. "What are those things? Where's that moaning coming from?"

"Zombies, of course. If you have never had any experience with them at all, then I envy you. Can you fight?" Acerbus asked.

As Lilli was about to respond, the first of the monsters entered her range of vision. With the darkness all around, she couldn't see much of them, but from what she did see, she knew that she didn't want to see the full picture. The creatures were humanoid in shape, with flesh that seemed to be rotten, decaying and falling off the bone in some places. They were walking corpses.

She responded with a quick, "Yes, but I have nothing to fight with."

"That's too bad. I could have used the help clearing up these pests, but it looks as though I will have to do the job myself," he said, readying himself.

Rushing forward, he began to beat the undead into a bloody pulp, hitting with strength that he shouldn't possess, considering his thin figure.

* * *

Yaab was intrigued by this man. He seemed to be destroying each zombie with no more than three punches in most instances. Yaab was sure of it now. With his purple eyes, his supernatural strength, and the fear of water he'd observed within the first hours of the man entering the forest, Yaab was positive this man was an Enderman Mobling. Just how much Enderman blood flowed through the man's veins, Yaab couldn't say, but he knew that even the slightest heritage would produce a fearsome enemy.

Excited, Yaab rushed in to the battle field, eager to fight this potential challenge. He didn't care if it took hours, even if that meant less time for his mission.

* * *

Covered in the zombies' blood, Acerbus did not know how much longer he could fight these things. After knocking down almost fifty of them without taking so much as a single scratch, could feel his strength starting to ebb. Hearing a moaning behind him, Acerbus turned to see a zombie making its way toward Lilli. Rushing toward it, he knocked it to the ground with a single, forceful punch.

"Thank you," she said.

Turning his attention back to the mob without even so much as a, "You're welcome," Acerbus saw the horde had thinned somewhat.

Impossible. I know I did not defeat that many, he thought. As he was about to relax, Acerbus noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw another flash of movement, but was unable to see the cause.

"Such an interesting fighting style, I must say," a childish voice said maliciously. "Too bad its sole focus relies on your heritage."

"My heritage?" Acerbus replied angrily. "And how would you know what my heritage is?"

"It's simple. The purple eyes, the immense strength, the fact that you're pale as a sheet of paper, they all give it away. I know you're part Enderman. Anybody with a brain could figure it out. Unfortunately for you, that doesn't matter anymore," the voice replied.

* * *

Looking around, Lilli was unable to locate where the voice was coming from. She knew whoever it was must be just out of view, but finding them was proving to be quite a problem. Lilli just kept looking as Acerbus kept speaking.

"Are you the one who made all those zombies attack us?"

"Why, of course. They were my pawns, ordered by my liege to obey me as I see fit."

Acerbus simply grunted. "At least that explains why this is the first time I've been attacked by them."

"I'm sorry, but I'm becoming bored. So I think-" the voice stopped mid-sentence. Hearing a grunt and the spring of a tree branch, Acerbus and Lilli looked up. "-that I'll just finish this now!"

* * *

Acerbus was immediately able to discern the features of the boy, or at least what was visible, seeing as he wore a tattered, green-brown, hooded cloak that allowed no part of his body to be seen but his face. And even then it was limited, as the bottom portion of his face was covered by a face-mask. All that could be seen unobstructed was his bloodshot, brown eyes. The only other discerning features about him were that he was obviously a child and that he was extremely thin.


	7. Chapter 7

Well, it's finally here! My first large chapter. I'll try to keep them near this length from now on, but there will still be the occasional short chapter. I'll keep them to a minimum though.

Please review if possible. I'm always looking to improve.

Enjoy!

* * *

Darkness…

Darkness and pain…

Darkness and pain and fear…

* * *

Walking through the shadowy tunnels in his tattered garb, Yaab knew that the moment he went back the main cavern, everybody there would start making fun of him again, that they would pick on him, beat on him, make him feel lousy in general. So he would take as much time as possible exploring the tunnels, returning only when he was tired. That was how Yaab's day was, every day. It was the same shit, every day, day in, day out. Not that Yaab, or anybody else down here for that matter, knew when the day started or ended. Not in this perpetual darkness.

* * *

As Yaab made his way through the tunnels, he knew he'd have to return soon. He was becoming tired, and he knew resting in the tunnels themselves was a terrible idea. Any of the mobs that called these tunnels home would attack him if he was sleeping. But when he went back to that cavern, he knew that he'd have to deal with the special pain involved with that choice as well. But at least he knew then the kind of pain.

* * *

Exploring the parts of the caves he had never been to before, Yaab could feel the temperature slowly rising. That meant there was lava nearby. He could also hear the rushing of an underground river. Following the sounds, Yaab found a large cavern filled with two small lakes. One was simply a lake of water, apparently the source of the river he'd heard earlier, but the other was a glowing, sweat-inducing lake of lava. The only thing separating the two lakes was a small path made from a dark, almost purple stone leading up to an island at the other end of the cavern made of the same material. And in the middle of that island was more of that same craggy, purple stone, shaped into an arch almost ten feet tall. And all Yaab knew at that moment was fear.

* * *

Darkness…

Darkness and pain…

Darkness and pain and hatred…

* * *

Yaab wanted to turn back and run, but something about the arch seemed to call him, to beckon him forward. He knew that if he took one wrong step, he would fall into the lava, and that this place just seemed to scream run, but he still wanted to investigate this arch. This strange arch that couldn't have formed naturally.

Making up his mind, Yaab took his first step. Then another. And another. Soon enough, he had reached the arch of stone, inspecting it closely, looking for any hints as to its origin. However, before Yaab could find a single thing, he heard somebody speak.

_Would you like to be free?_

Turning to look at the speaker, Yaab saw nobody. Not on the bridge, nor at the other end of it. Nobody was there. Brushing the voice off as his imagination, Yaab returned to his examination of the arch.

_I asked you a question, boy. Would you like to be free?_

This time, Yaab knew he wasn't hearing things. But there wasn't a single person around who could have said anything. Opening his mouth, Yaab replied quietly, "Who's there?"

_You cannot see me. I am not currently within view of you. But I can see you, clear as day. Now, I shall ask one final time. Would you like to be free?_

"Free from what?" Yaab replied.

_Everything..._

"Everything?"

_Yes. Your pain. Your fear, cowardice, and anxiety. Even this constant darkness that you hate._

Yaab didn't know what to say. Freedom from everything that made his life miserable. It was a dream come true. Yaab didn't care what the repercussions were, because he was being offered freedom.

"Yes, sir…"

_Good. The price for this freedom, however, is great. You must vow your eternal servitude to me._

"Okay. I swear that I'll follow you until the day I die. Just make it so I'm not afraid anymore…" he replied, pleading.

_Perfect. Now, I shall grant you three gifts with time. First, I shall grant you nigh-endless arcane and alchemical knowledge. The second shall be gained upon the death of every one of those who have tortured you throughout your life, and shall be the gift of immortality. The third and final gift shall be true and utter freedom. I shall release you from you vow to serve me and you shall be able to make your own decisions. You shall be free from the constraints of man, and at the same time, you shall be free from the constraints of time. However, you shall only be granted this third gift at the time of my resurrection. Until then, you must follow my every order as though they were your own wish and desire._

As the voice relayed all of this to Yaab, he could feel a kind of magic flowing through him, working its wonders on his body and mind. As the voice finished, a rush of knowledge flooded his mind, causing pain beyond any he'd experienced before. The pain was so great; Yaab could no longer handle it and collapsed, unable to stay awake any longer than he already had. With one final rush of emotion, Yaab embraced the darkness.

* * *

Sometime later, Yaab woke to find himself still on the island in the middle of the two lakes. That meant that Yaab hadn't dreamed it all, that it wasn't a product of his fear and imagination. Standing, Yaab looked back at the arch. For some unknown reason, Yaab was instantly able to recognize it as a portal, and the stone as obsidian.

Thinking back, Yaab remembered the voice saying that it'd grant him endless arcane and alchemical knowledge. Those names must have been included in that rush of knowledge that had knocked him unconscious. That meant he had to kill all those that had made his life a living hell.

Before, Yaab would have never even thought about doing that, but now… Now something had changed within Yaab. Now he didn't care. In fact, Yaab relished the idea of killing them now.

Making up his mind, Yaab made his way back through the caves. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness again, Yaab began to look for materials.

Yaab knew everybody else in the cavern was always on edge, waiting for another to rush up to them and try to stab them in the back. Yaab was the only one that had never posed any threat to any of them, but now all that had changed. Now, Yaab would be the one who killed them all. Now Yaab would be the one who caused everybody else in the cavern pain.

* * *

After a year of experimenting, Yaab almost had his arsenal ready. Walking out of the cavern with the portal, Yaab took a few quick turns in the tunnels and quickly reached his own little farm. Grabbing some of the large, red stalks, Yaab made his way back to his cavern. While doing so, Yaab saw a giant spider crawling by and quickly killed it, taking one of its eyes. When he reached the active portal, Yaab knelt down to use his potion stand. Tearing up one of the stalks of Nether Wart, he distributed the pieces to the three bottles of boiling water. After the bottles brewed, Yaab began to add ingredient after ingredient, creating a potion of his own invention.

Turning around to grab one of the rats he'd caged over the months, Yaab took a small portion of one of the bottles' contents and forced the rat to drink its dark gray contents. Setting the rat down, he watched as the rat quickly surveyed its surroundings and immediately ran for the bubbling lava. As the creature dived in, Yaab smiled. The potion was perfected, completing his arsenal. Yaab quickly walked behind the portal and opened the chest located there. Grabbing one of the small cases, Yaab opened it to see the powder inside was still untouched. Closing it, Yaab grabbed one of the stone bowls as well. Returning to his work-station, Yaab knelt down and, placing the stone bowl on the obsidian floor and, grabbing some of the powder with his hand, emptied the contents of one of the bottles into the bowl.

Grabbing one of the stone mixing rods he'd made, Yaab slowly mixed in the powder, eventually creating a paste. Yaab smiled, knowing his plan would succeed and that he wouldfinally take his revenge. Returning to the chest, he grabbed another of the bowls, this one filled with a dark green paste, a few bottles filled with various potions of his own invention, and another paste-filled bowl, this one a dark, dark black.

Stowing the potions and pastes, Yaab began to make his way toward his old home. Turn after turn, these tunnels, even after all those years of preparation, still felt familiar to him. He supposed that he would never feel out of place in these tunnels. Yaab took a right, a left, another left, another right, and so on. Soon enough, Yaab reached the old cavern. Looking at the group of miserly, spiteful buffoons, Yaab quickly counted them, reaching the conclusion that everybody was here. In fact, only two of them were currently awake. This had always been the normal procedure when Yaab had been here; the reason being that amongst the group, there was absolutely no trust. They would all stab each other in the back if given the chance, and they all knew it too. They lived together more out of fear than respect, but now that Yaab could kill them all, his fear would be theirs.

Pulling out one of the bottles, Yaab quickly drank the contents, causing his senses to become almost one hundred times more sensitive. Slowly making his way toward the stockpile of food, acting just as he had all those years ago, Yaab pretended to be aiming for a quick snack. However, this time Yaab wanted more than just a quick meal. He knew that as soon as one of the two awake heard or saw him, they would punish him by making him cook a quick meal for them. This would give him the perfect opportunity to put one of the pastes in their food. Reaching the food, he grabbed one of the loaves of bread at the base of the pile, purposely causing a large amount of the food to shift, announcing his presence in the cave.

Turning, one of the two stood and shouted. "Hey! What are you doing?"

When the man reached Yaab, who had immediately began cowering in fear as part of his plow, he instantly recognized who it was. "Well, if it isn't Yaab… It's been a while, shorty. How were the deep dark caves?"

When Yaab, still pretending to be afraid, didn't answer, the man continued. "Well!? Come here, you little punk! You were trying to steal food again, so in return for me not telling anybody, you're gonna make us a quick meal. Understand?!"

Yaab quickly nodded in fear, even though on the inside, he was smiling an evil smile. He had the idiots right where he wanted them. Tossing Yaab to the cave floor, the man returned to where he'd been sitting, looking as though he felt all were right with the world again.

Gathering the ingredients for Mushroom Stew, Yaab walked over to where the small pond, if it could even be called that, of foul water sat and filled two stone bowls. Heading back to the stockpile, he quickly gathered enough mushrooms for two stews and, bringing them back to the bowls, grabbed a nearby stone knife. As he cut the mushrooms into the perfect size, he slowly but surely slipped the gray paste out from underneath his cloak. Adding just enough of the paste to one of the bowls for it to be effective, Yaab quickly gathered up the paste and, grabbing the bowls, proceeded to bring one to each of the denizens of the cavern.

Yaab then quickly backed away from the cavern and sat just outside their range of view. As the two ate their meals, the one who had received the tainted soup slowly but surely began to look more and more at the other. This was apparently enough to garner the other's attention, causing him to look right back.

Under the influence of Yaab's potion, this glance set off the paranoia that it caused.

"What do you want?" the second asked.

"Nothing. Just why you're staring at me! You want to kill me, don't you? Don't you!?"

As the argument escalated, the poisoned man quickly stood and attacked his perceived threat. Running at the other, he pulled out a hidden knife just like the one Yaab had used to cut the mushrooms. The other barely had any time to react before the knife entered his chest. His screams quickly woke every other person in the cavern. Seeing the poisoned man, they all began to yell at him, causing the paranoia to become much more pronounced.

As an all-out brawl began between the inhabitants of the cave, Yaab grabbed the green paste, the black paste and two of his polished stone knives. Covering one knife with just enough of the green paste for the poison to be effective, and the other with the black paste, Yaab entered the melee. Only about three of the cave dwellers were still alive, but one of them was on the ground. Watching as one of the other two killed another, Yaab slowly made his way past the man on the ground.

The final man standing turned just in time to see Yaab approaching him. "Yaab? Where the hell have you-"

Unfortunately for the man, he was never able to finish the question, as Yaab had stabbed at him, only slightly cutting his stomach. However, that cut was ten times more deadly than any stab wound could have inflicted. Kicking him to the ground, Yaab watched as the poison quickly took its course. He watched as the man began to clutch at his throat after only fifteen seconds. He watched as he began coughing up blood. He watched as the man began to clawing at his own throat, trying to stop the pain. He watched as the poison killed the man, yet at the same time, kept the man alive. Yaab watched as the man killed himself to stop his own suffering.

Turning, Yaab walked to over to the man he'd poisoned first and knelt down to see his expression.

"So, what was that about stealing food?" Yaab asked him.

The man's eyes widened in fear as Yaab inflicted a minor would with the other knife, a knife covered with a poison that would cause the man's body to wither away slowly yet surely into nothingness.

Yaab relished the feeling of being the one in control, the one who caused others to feel fear. Now Yaab knew what freedom felt like. Yaab knew what a life free of fear was like. It was no longer fear that drove Yaab. Feeling a rush of power that could only be the promised immortality, the only driving forces in Yaab's life were loyalty to the one who had given him this strength and a burning hatred.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to everyone who's been here since chapter 1 along with those who've reviewed this story.

Once again, if you could take a few minutes out of your busy day to help me improve my writing, I'd be extremely grateful.

* * *

Acerbus and Lilli quickly leapt out of the path of the boy's dive. As the boy landed, he agilely performed a quick roll and ran at Acerbus with a sharp iron knife. As the boy thrust the knife forward, Acerbus blocked the attack by knocking his arm off course. Acerbus then took a wild swing at the boy, narrowly missing him as he ducked.

"Why are you doing this?" Acerbus asked as they fought.

"It's the will of my master. Therefore, it's my own wish!" the boy replied with a particularly fast strike.

"If you only do what your 'master' wants you to do, how can you possibly know what you want? You are just a simple puppet," Acerbus replied as he sidestepped the knife, swinging at the boy.

"I don't care if I'm a puppet. When I complete my assignment, I'll be free! I'll be the one making my decision until the end of time! A decade is nothing to me!"

"So you gave away your freedom just so you can gain it back again? Is that how you want to live your life?" Acerbus continued coolly.

The boy, in response to Acerbus' calm attitude, was becoming angrier and more volatile. "I had no freedom before serving my master! All I had was the darkness of the caves and the humiliation of being everybody's whipping boy! Don't talk about me as if you know me!"

* * *

As the boy and Acerbus continued to fight and banter, Lilli simply stood by and watched. She had no idea what the boy had been through, but she could tell he'd led a miserable life for a long time. Watching the fight, she could see Acerbus' strategy as clearly as the Aetherian sun. He was inciting the boy, creating an environment where the boy would become angry, blind to the outside world, only listening to his emotion. However, the boy seemed to be pushing Acerbus back further and further the angrier he became.

* * *

Thanks the his potions, Yaab was able to see and feel everything around him, and react quick enough to dodge any one of the punches the man threw at him. That didn't stop him fromgrowing angry.

"So in exchange for what little dignity you had left, you let somebody else save you and order you around?" the man asked, his voice still cold as ice.

"He gave me the strength to kill them all! He gave me knowledge, and I used it to kill each and every one of them! You should have seen them as they killed each other, murdering each other because of one small, little boy! I poisoned one of them, and it caused a riot! You should have seen one of them kill himself as he coughed up blood, as his internal organ bled out, only for his body to be in a perpetual state of repair, all from one small cut of a knife!You should have seen another scream in pain as he slowly withered away into nothing but a skeleton! I did that! I did all of it! I killed them all!"

* * *

Hearing the boy's rant, Acerbus couldn't help but feel disgusted by those actions that were just described. This boy had killed those people in twisted ways that should have never thought of, much less implemented. What had they done to boy to cause him to hate them so much?

"You disgust me," Acerbus said, blocking another lunge and stepping toward the boy, landing a punch directly in his stomach.

Stumbling backward, the boy quickly regained his balance. "I don't expect you to understand me. In fact, if you did, I'd probably feel a little respect for you right now. As it is, the fact that you were able to hit me impresses me, if only for the fact that it actually happened.

Surprised by the fact that the fight seemed to have paused temporarily, Acerbus kept his guard up, saying, "You caused such gruesome deaths, and you do not feel even a hint of shame. How can you call yourself human?"

* * *

Caught off guard by the question, Yaab let out a loud cackle."You assumed that they were all humans? That I was human? You must be joking!"

Looking the man straight in the eye, Yaab continued.

"More than half of the people in that cavern were Moblings, including myself! And we all felt that same self-loathing that every other Mobling feels at one time or another! As for me, I simply directed that loathing at the others in the cave. They tortured me, made me prepare their food while almost starving me, and tried to kill me on multiple occasions, only to be stopped by another that feltsaner at the time! Of course I hated them! Of course I made them suffer all the pain that they'd given me a hundred times over! You should know well the hate I felt! Every Mobling I've on the surfacemet has felt the same hatred toward humanity that I felt toward the others in that cave!"

* * *

This boy has quite a lot to say… Acerbus thought.

"I apologize for this, but I have never felt that hatred you speak of. The only human that has ever wronged me or those I loved was my father. I do not blame humanity as a whole for his actions."

This caused the boy to laugh again.

"You really are ignorant, aren't you? You think that humans will accept out of some form of kindness? The only time a human will accept you is if you're his slave. Otherwise, they'll want to see you dead."

"I know," Acerbus replied.

* * *

Stunned, Yaab's eyes widened in shock. "You know that, and yet you don't hate humanity? Why?"

"I do not blame humanity because the only reason they hate and fear our kind is because they are ignorant about us. They view us as mindless or hostile as our ancestors, or as scheming, evil creatures that should be destroyed. They hate us out of ignorance. I can see this, and I do not blame them for it. However, if you look closely at any human settlement, you will invariably find a few Moblings living there. Humans live amongst those they fear and hate, and yet they never know it. Humans have yet to understand that, in a way, Moblings are as human as a full-blooded human is. I do not blame humanity. I pity them."

"You pity them? Well, perhaps you don't understand me, but you've definitely gained some respect from me. And for that, I wish to know your name," Yaab replied.

"You may call me Acerbus."

"I'm Yaab," he said. "Seeing as I've never met a single person before that I've respected, I'm going to give you two until sunrise to leave this forest behind. I'll even be generous enough to tell you that the quickest way out of the forest is to the south-west. Keep in mind that if I see that you are still in the forest at that time, I will hunt you down and kill you both. Goodbye."

With that, Yaab jumped high in the sky with a slight backward velocity, landing far enough away to head back to Serene's hut without being followed.

* * *

As the boy leapt into the air, Lilli knew immediately that this wasn't the last time they'd see him. She didn't know how or why, but it was as if she felt that the destiny of the three people that had been here in the clearing were so closely intertwined that it was impossible to tell the difference.

Turning to Acerbus, Lilli asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. He did not manage to hit me. What about you? Were you hurt?"

"No…"

"Good. At least I will not have to bear your complaining," Acerbus said rudely.

"Hey! I wouldn't complain if I were hurt. I'd just keep walking."

Lilli didn't receive a response. Acerbus just turned to the south-west and started walking. Letting out a grunt of exasperation, Lilli just followed him.

* * *

After about two hours of constant travel, Lilli finally asked what had been on her mind.

"Acerbus?"

"Yes?"

"What did you mean when you that the only human who'd ever wronged you was your father?"

Acerbus, not expecting such a question, stopped walking, his hands balled into fists, shaking. Seeing that her question had caused such an adverse reaction from him, she knew something had happened that had truly caused Acerbus to hate his father."Acerbus?"

"If you want to know, fine. Just do not expect me to feel happy or relieved after explaining."

"Of course. Let's keep walking, though. I don't want to be in this forest for sunrise," Lilli replied, still not knowing fully why the Overworld cycled through the light of day and the shadows of night.

"Very well."

* * *

After a few minutes of walking, Acerbus began explaining.

"Before I say anything, seeing as you know almost nothing about the world you live in, you need to understand the relationship between the human race, mobs, and their offspring, the Moblings.

"This world, for the longest time, was only inhabited by what are known as mobs. Mobs could take the form of almost anything. Some were bipeds, some quadrupeds, and others were able to fly. Eventually most forms of mobs began to die off; this left us withmost of the present day's set of mobs: Creepers, Giant Spiders, Cave Spiders and Slimes. Over time, another group of beings slowly emerged. This race is what is currently known as 'humans.' They were bipeds with an immense capability for intelligence, something never before seen in the Overworld. Using this intelligence, they slowly but surely conquered most of the Overworld, consistently hampered and attacked by the mobs. And as humans were slain by mobs, died of disease or old age, or killed each other, two more varieties of mobs began to appear: Skeletons and the Zombies you witnessed only a couple hours ago.

"There was also one more type of mob, but rather than this one being a native to the Overworld, it was more of a traveler. A traveler between dimensions. Its homeland was known as The End, and it was known as the Enderman. These intelligent mobs were the second intelligent race to make their presence known in the Overworld.

"It was only natural that over time, the line between the two archetypes of creatures began to blur and fade. According to legend, the first Mobling to rise was a Zombie Mobling. A human mother supposedly was bitten by one of the undead monstrosities during her pregnancy. As she came to term, she was slowly dying. However, just before she died, she gave birth to her son. This boy had also been infected by the Zombie's bite, but not to the extent of his mother, who had fled in to the forest to keep her child alive. As the boy grew, it became apparent that he was neither human nor mob. He was somewhere between the two. He was the first Mobling. Over time, more species of Mobling came to be. A Slime consumed the body of a human, somehow absorbing her essence and gaining a humanoid form. A situation similar to that of the first Zombie Mobling occurred with the Spider and Cave Spider Moblings, each gaining some of the traits of her mob progenitor. A human who lived near a cemetery somehow became infused with the essence of the centuries-old corpses lying underneath the ground, and she becamea Skeleton Mobling. It is rumored that a Creeper exploded near a human and infused her with its explosive personality and essence, creating the first Creeper Mobling. As for the Endermen, from what I have heard, a human was able to visit The End, but when she returned, she was no longer human. She was the first Enderman Mobling. All of these Moblings went on to have children, and the Mobling races expanded and grew into what we know today.

"Moblings are now widely known phenomena amongst the races of the Overworld. We are hated and feared by the humans, and we are reviled by the mobs. While humans actively try to eradicate our species out of ignorance, out mob progenitors consistently ignore us, possibly feeling that we are an abomination or blight that should be ignored. We are alone, hated, reviled, even amongst ourselves. We do not have the stalwart courage of the humans. Wedo not have the unending numbers of the mobs. We only have ourselves. That is the truth of being a Mobling."

* * *

Listening, Lilli now felt she might have a glimpse of an understanding of why Yaab had felt such hatred toward the others in his cave. That she might understand why Yaab spoke of a self-loathing that every Mobling was supposed to have.

So that's what this world is like? Why? Why is it so full of hatred and fear?

Looking up, she saw Acerbus continue with his story.

* * *

"Now that you understand what this world is like, I shall answer your question as to why I feel my father has wronged me and my family.

"From what my mother told me, when she was dating my father, she felt that he would be one of the few humans who would be understanding of her ancestry, one of the few that would accept Moblings for who they were. They were together for almost two years when she became pregnant with me. From what she said, she was about to give birth to me when she told my father her secret. She told him that she was an Enderman Mobling.

"When he learned this, he apparently felt used and afraid. Heleft my mother, stating that if he ever saw her again, he would kill her. Growing up, I never knew my father, and eventually, I lost my mother as well.

"When I was only five or six years old, my mother abandoned me, telling me that she needed to go home, and that she could not bring me. She told me that she was going to see somebody to help her see my father again. She left for my ancestors' homeland, The End. I never saw her again.

"So you can see why my father would hold a special hatred in my heart," Acerbus finished.

* * *

The two continued walking for almost another hour after Acerbus' tale, reaching the edge of the forest as the sun started setting.

"Acerbus?"

"What now?"

"I just wanted to let you know that even though your mother left you, I think she loved you very much."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. I just feel it," Lilli said quietly as she watched the sun rise above the horizon, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin.


End file.
